Success In the Press: Poinsettia Girl by Jennifer Wizbowski

Historical Fiction Company's Award of Excellence

★

Bronze Award from Yarde Book Reviews

★

Historical Fiction Company's Award of Excellence ★ Bronze Award from Yarde Book Reviews ★

Poinsettia Girl is based on the story of Agata de la Pieta, an orphan musician of the Ospedale de la Pieta. Ten-year-old Agata's world is shaken at the sudden death of her mother. Left only with her egregious father, a working musician in Venice, her ailing grandmother sends her to the well-known orphanage, hidden from everything she's ever known. Agata auditions for the conservatory style music school where music is both salvation and spectacle. Hidden behind ornate metal grates, adorned with poinsettias in their hair, the singers are veiled in mystery, their ethereal music drawing noble audiences, including gilded young men who see them as treasures-not only for their sound but as coveted marriage prizes. Just as she reaches the height of her musical journey, a marriage proposal from someone outside the audience tempts her with the promise of a new life-a return to the old neighborhood she's longed for and a home she barely remembers. Torn between the music that has defined her and the hope of belonging to a family, Agata must confront the most profound question of her life: is her purpose rooted in the music that shaped her, or in the love that might free her?

“It is a book that lingers. It is a book that, once opened, seems to breathe. And it is, without hesitation, a book one should read.”

— Historical Fiction Company

From BlueInk Review: “Through alternating character viewpoints and third-person narration, Wizbowski's novel thoughtfully explores the challenges of claiming autonomy as a woman in a traditional, male-dominated culture. Agata's steady transformation from a shy foundling to a 22-year-old musician illustrates how trauma can irrevocably shape personal identity. The writing shines when depicting Agata's growing artistry and how music serves as a source of inner strength. Overall, this is a quietly moving journey of rebuilding purpose after surviving personal tragedy. Readers who appreciate women's fiction will feel as protective of Agata as the fictional nuns charged with shepherding her into womanhood.”

From a Reader: “I found this story deeply moving and emotionally immersive. Agata’s inner conflict felt raw and authentic, especially her struggle between staying loyal to the music that saved her and the desire to belong to a family again. The author captures Venice with a soft, almost lyrical touch, and the atmosphere of the orphanage, the performances, and the social limitations placed on these girls felt vivid and heartbreaking. Knowing the story is rooted in real history added another layer of poignancy to every decision Agata faced.”

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Success In the Press: For the Minds and Wills of Men by Jeff Lanier

2023 Finalist in Historical Fiction

★

First Novel for the Next Generation Indie Book

★

2023 Finalist in Historical Fiction ★ First Novel for the Next Generation Indie Book ★

From the Author: MANHATTAN, 1953. Fear of communist subversion and espionage are tearing America apart. Abstract expressionism is on the verge of exploding, making New York the cultural epicenter of the world. While recovering a stolen Jackson Pollock for a wealthy client, art insurer Will Oxley falls for the client's daughter, Liz Bower, who leads him deep into the rebellious and seductive world of the abstract expressionist painters, their Village bar haunts and East Hampton binges. But when Will learns the painting-and Liz-may be hiding communist secrets better left hidden, he finds himself torn between exposing the girl he loves or risking his life by trusting her instead. Realizing nothing is as it seems, Will is caught between communist espionage, secret government programs, and the grip of cold war fear, suspicion, and betrayal where trust is all he has left...

With post-World War II New York, 1950s avant-garde art world, and the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings as background, the novel tells the story of abstract expressionism and mid-century American politics- through the thrilling search for a stolen Jackson Pollock.

Bragging Rights:

★ 2023 1st Place Winner in Fiction for the IndieReader Discovery

★ 2022 1st Place Winner in Historical Fiction and New Author Fiction for the Dragonfly

★ 2023 Finalist in Historical Fiction and First Novel for the Next Generation Indie Book

★ 2023 PenCraft Award A Best Book Winner

★ 2023 Readers Favorite Book Award Winner

★ 2023 Readers Favorite Five Star Book

Our Take: Set against the charged backdrop of Cold War paranoia and the birth of abstract expressionism, The Minds and Wills of Men is part noir thriller, part love story, and part art world history. Jeff Lanier skillfully blends espionage, political intrigue, and cultural revolution into a suspenseful and intellectual narrative. A compelling pick for readers drawn to atmospheric historical fiction—especially those curious about the collision of art, power, and trust in a world where nothing is quite what it seems.

From a Reader: “[..] an historical art fiction and cold war thriller that will both entertain and electrify the imagination. With a fair bit of noir, significant intrigue, and plenty of fact and fiction expertly intertwined, this story will rank high on the to-read meter and then even higher on the recommend-to-friends-and-family meter. In short, it’s fabulous.”

Get your copy today at the links below!

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Success in the Press: Blood Throne of Caria by Roy Casagranda

"A gripping, fast-paced adventure." -Kirkus Reviews

✹

"A gripping, fast-paced adventure." -Kirkus Reviews ✹

From the Author: In the early fifth century BC, Artemisia is trained in medicine, the sword, and statecraft--and no one cares. Her marriage will cement an alliance for her father and make a prince heir to his throne. However, this Amazonian spitfire will not be reduced to a traded commodity.

When the Persian Emperor demands a hostage, Artemisia's father sends his thirteen-year-old daughter in her brother's place. Refusing to succumb to loneliness, Artemisia charms the Imperial Court and converts her exile into her own private tutelage.

Three years later, she returns to Caria as the heir to her father's throne. Princes fight to marry her. Artemisia delays the wedding, only to discover that her suitors are willing to kill for her hand. Brutally forced into wedlock, she outmaneuvers the kings of Caria in the palace and on the field of battle, cleaving the ramparts of patriarchy to become one of history's fiercest heroines.

““A gripping, fast-paced adventure that delivers passionate writing””

— Kirkus Reviews

Our Take: A fierce and cinematic reimagining of a real-life ruler, Blood Throne of Caria brings ancient history to life through the eyes of a girl who refuses to be ruled. Roy Casagranda charts Artemisia’s transformation from political pawn to sovereign force with vivid detail and steady pacing. This one’s for fans of historical fiction with teeth—especially readers drawn to untold stories of bold women who shaped the world against all odds.

From a Reader: "A true historical thriller - The Blood Throne of Caria is a brilliantly researched, riveting read about Artemisia, whose struggle to direct her own destiny in a brutally patriarchal world is as relevant today as it was more than two thousand years ago."

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Success In the Press: Follow the Dragon by John Daniel

"Well paced and skillfully plotted." -Kirkus Reviews

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"Well paced and skillfully plotted." -Kirkus Reviews ✹

From the Author: In 1980 Jake Salter returns to Hong Kong for his father's funeral and vows to unearth a problem cryptically hinted at in their last phone call. Jake finds secret WWII journals with his dad's personal wartime history: the British SOE's Operation Remorse and the British Army Aid Group ― the BAAG. The enlightening entries include saving the life of Commander M.T. Kwan.

Kwan, now an elderly billionaire called the Dragon, convinces Jake to step in for his deceased father to help confront an existential threat, resulting in Jake risking his life on an outlying island during a typhoon and facing a dogged Royal Hong Kong Police Inspector's related investigation. Jake and Kwan realize their family names and fortunes may encounter monumental disaster as his dad's cryptic problem is revealed.

““Daniel delivers a first-rate adventure and mystery that’s well paced and skillfully plotted.””

— Kirkus Reviews

Our Take: Part historical mystery, part family reckoning, Follow the Dragon moves between the shadows of World War II and the shifting political landscape of 1980s Hong Kong. Through secret journals, buried alliances, and a powerful figure known as the Dragon, the novel weaves real wartime operations into a suspenseful search for truth and legacy. With a strong sense of place and rising tension, this is a great pick for readers who love historical fiction grounded in espionage, intrigue, and the complicated ties between past and present.

From a Reader: “A well-written and engaging story providing a glimpse of the tangled web of intrigue, loyalty and tradition in the Hong Kong culture.”

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Success In the Press: The Journey Begins by Cynthia Elder

"Get it." -Kirkus Reviews

✹

"Get it." -Kirkus Reviews ✹

From the Author:
West Barnstable, 1830. Lighthouse keeper Joseph Nickerson and members of the Jenkins and Fish families are tied to the sea through their work. Their voices are those of men and women who braved years-long sailing voyages as the United States split apart at the seams.

Young James Jenkins follows the sailor’s life, rising over a decade to become a merchant ship captain who transports guano, tea and coal around the globe. He finds his match in Ruth Fish, the daughter of a ship’s captain who bristles with passion to see the world and escape the confines of her small town.

Separated for years from his family, James binds himself to them through letters that span the vastness of oceans and time. At home, the rumbles of conflict over slavery reverberate into every corner of life.

James and Ruth are united in their vision to sail the world together while their country strains under the tension between North and South.
An uncertain future awaits.

Based on the true story of a family from West Barnstable, Massachusetts, during the final chapter of the Great Age of Sail and the tumultuous years leading up to and through the Civil War.

““A well-developed novel that uses copious historical sources to vividly bring its characters and scenes to life.””

— Kirkus Reviews

Our Take: Based on the true story of a family from Massachusetts during the final chapter of the Great Age of Sail and tumultuous years leading up to and through the Civil War, The Journey Begins offers a richly researched portrait of seafaring life during one of America’s most turbulent eras. Sweeping and quietly powerful, it promises lyrical prose and a strong sense of place. The novel follows two families as they navigate oceans and upheaval, distance and duty. It’s a story of love, letters, and longing—perfect for readers drawn to historical fiction rooted in truth, and to tales where the pull of the sea echoes the deeper pull of home.

From a Reader: “A well-developed novel that uses copious historical sources to vividly bring its characters and setting to life.”

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